


paint me the flowers blue, set me adrift in the sea

by Katya_D_R_Rarewyne



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Roadtrip, ace - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-28 11:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14448306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katya_D_R_Rarewyne/pseuds/Katya_D_R_Rarewyne
Summary: When Lena stumbles upon it, she knows. This is what she’s been looking for; so she offers it to Kara, and hopes that it’s enough to stem the cracks slowly gathering.One trip. A few months on the road before they’re both pulled apart by the thing that is growing, growing up, and growing away. If she finds the roots she’s always longed for in the process, then that moment, having it with Kara, will be the kindest gift she’s ever given herself. If all she takes away from this are memories? Then those? Those will be the kindest gift she’s ever given both of them.*Tumblr Prompt: local dumbasses need to travel thousands of miles together in a cramped vehicle and needlessly share shitty motel beds in order to finally admit they're in love with each other*





	paint me the flowers blue, set me adrift in the sea

**Author's Note:**

> \--Unless otherwise stated, all my Karas are ace-spec.  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Last Day.

_paint me the flowers blue,_

_set me adrift in the sea,_

_but darling, don’t look away,_

_don’t look away when you let go_

_of my hand._

_\- K.N.O.W._

_***_  

 

 

They’re sitting under the bleachers with their graduation gowns spread out beneath them, watching the last stragglers disappear. It’s quiet under there. Filthy. A little skin-crawlingly disgusting where decaying food, and used condoms rest in the darker spaces. Bottle caps, and empty potato chip bags poke up from beneath their gowns, but, just this once, neither of them are bothered by this place they’ve always scoffed at the others for using like some club for the bored, and horny.

 

They could be inside, sprawled across abandoned desks, waiting for their friends in the stale, closed classrooms that had witnessed their last year here, but Lena doesn’t want that. It would make this too real. It would make it _all_ too real, and there’s something about the ghosts of empty classrooms, and long-forgotten friendships, that she doesn’t want hovering over them.

 

Kara squeezes her hand, gaze firmly stuck on the expanse of sky above them. Her palm is warm, and a little rough from years of workout drills, but it’s familiar, and grounding. Lena shifts her head a bit, chin brushing against the awful satin material of Kara’s dress, and watches the tight workings of her jaw. She wonders if Kara has sensed it, too; if this is why she’s as terrified of being trapped in an empty classroom, the precipice of all the world before them, knowing that this is the year where it all changes. Her gut twists in distress, and she squeezes Kara’s hand back, because she can see it before her already: the slowly diminishing texts, sporadic video calls too short to really cover the magnitude of a life apart, promises to catch up, drifting into plans to meet at someone’s wedding, or baby shower, or—

 

"It won’t be so bad, Lena."

 

She startles at the rumble of Kara’s voice in her ear, then relaxes back into their uncomfortable position. "We’re both going to be so busy—"

 

"I could never be too busy for you."

 

"—and before we know it we won’t know each other anymore. You’re my best friend, Kara. I can’t lose you."

 

"And you won’t. You can’t."

 

The satin beneath her cheek grows damp, and Lena reaches for her own cheeks, surprised to find them dry. Then, she feels it—the hitch of Kara’s breath against her ear—and pulls back. She spreads her fingers across Kara’s cheeks, the wet warmth of tears slipping beneath them. They vibrate with the gentle tremors leaching into her skin where she, and Kara, are connected.

 

Lena dips the tips of her thumbs into slowly falling tears. They do nothing to stem the tears.

 

Her hands shake when she pulls away. She’s never seen Kara cry before.

***

Alex finds them sitting there, with Lena’s hands clasped around her knees, and Kara’s gaze still fixed on the sky. She gives them a funny look; watches them like she’s never seen them before—gaze searching, and wary. Her words are bright, and playful—at odds with the way her brows don’t seem to draw apart, and the way her features don’t soften like they usually do.

 

"What’s up, runts? Ready to go? We’ve been looking everywhere for you two. Lena, your mom said she’d see you later tonight for the dinner." 

 

It takes a moment for Kara’s limbs to come to life, and Lena watches her break free, like a swimmer climbing out of a pool, from the stillness that had trapped her. She’s all weighted, and sluggish, limbs acclimating to being on land again. Then, she stretches like her limbs are in need of breaking, and seems to snap out of it.

 

"Runts? Alex, you’ve only got two years on me. And the _only_ reason I’m not in college with you, is because I didn’t want to steal your Danvers' prodigy limelight."

 

Alex hesitates for a beat, searching, searching, gaze travelling between them, but she lets whatever band’s wrapped tight around them go. "Oh, is that right? Come here, smart aleck. Let me you see you back that up within reaching distance." 

 

Kara squeals, and ducks under her arm, as Alex lounges for her. She barrels past her, light, and free, blonde hair catching on the wind her speed makes. Her dress billows out, a cloud for a moment, and Alex huffs, face falling into gentleness.

 

"Don’t think I can’t catch you, brat. You’re not the only one who did track!" She glances down at her feet, and mutters, "You are, however, the only one wearing sensible flats." 

 

Lena barks a laugh, and Alex raises her gaze to her. She groans. "C'mon, Luthor. What say you and I heel-wearing suckers traipse back through this field, and hope we don’t break our ankles?"

 

Lena smiles. " _Please_. They looked great when I put them on, but I don’t know what I was thinking."

 

"Why do we do this to ourselves?" Alex mutters, as she helps Lena grab the gowns, and the forgotten caps they’d chucked off between a thin crease.

 

"For the male gaze—" Alex glances up at her, eyebrow raised as she plucks Kara’s sash up. The cap she’s holding spells out _Karlena! BFFs 4ever wretches!_   "—Patriarchy. That cute guy from the football team that smiled at me all year round. To avoid our mothers’ exasperated disapproval. To spite that one girl—Ashley? who told me my calves and ankles were too big for heels. Screw you, Ashley." 

 

Alex laughs, and slings an arm over her shoulder. "I knew there was a reason I liked you hanging around my sister."

 

Lena leans into the weight of her arm, as they stumble their way across the field precariously. "Right. It wasn’t because I beat you that first year at chess, and Kara followed me around to apologise for you breaking my _handcrafted Baccarat Crystal queen_ in anger."

 

She can feel Alex cringe, and elbows her gently in the ribs. "I’ve _almost_ forgiven you. Let’s give it another six years."

 

"I said I’d buy it back some day," Alex grumbles.

 

Lena snorts, stumbling briefly. "It was part of a thirty thousand dollar custom set. They don’t do individual pieces, and that particular craftsman left crystal work behind years ago."

 

"God, I forgot how rich you are. I paid fifteen hundred dollars for my first _car_."

 

She shrugs. "It was a gift for my tenth birthday." The thought of it makes her go quiet. "It was from my brother. I only played with it on special occasions, but the queen was…" She shakes her head. "It doesn’t matter now. I shouldn’t have been carrying that piece around."

 

Alex pauses to look at her, and Lena slips out from under her arm. "Lena. That wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I reacted poorly, and I did a shitty thing."

 

"Al—"

 

"And I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I _was_ sorry. Still am."

 

"You’re making a rather big deal out of some glass pieces."  She chuckles wetly, because Alex must see it, too—that this will be the last time any of them are together like this, maybe the last time they’ll be as close as they are now. She keeps walking.

 

"I just want you to know that if I ever hurt you like that again, you have my full permission to burn my _precious._ "

 

"The—"

 

"Yup."      

 

"Oh my God, _Alex_ , you’ve gone soft on us."

 

Lena turns to look back at her, and Alex chucks a cap at her, _Karlena!_ glittering briefly in the shifting afternoon light. Lena dodges, and laughs. "Softie!"

 

Alex sighs, runs a hand through her loose, auburn hair. She catches up with her as Lena stoops for the fallen cap. "I don’t know. Maybe I have grown softer." She looks out towards the empty buildings, almost as if she can see through them into the parking lot with its discarded streamers, and deflated balloons. "It was everything, and nothing like I expected it to be. College…changes you."

 

Lena regards her curiously, warmth spreading through her chest. She smiles into it, and laughs when Alex nudges past her.

 

"Don’t look at me like that, Luthor. We can’t both go soft on these dweebs."

 

"I’m going to miss you, Alex."

 

"Didn’t I just say we can't both be going soft?"

 

"Don’t worry. I promise to protect our 'Ice Queens Who Could Slice You With One Look' creds."  She looks back out across the fields, before turning to follow Alex. "But I wanted you to know." _In case._

"I know. And for what it’s worth, Luthor," Alex turns to look back at her over her shoulder, "you’ll always be family. Kara’s my favourite…but you’re pretty close."

 

Lena looks at the back of her head, blinking the tears away. "If you make me ruin my makeup, so help me God, I'll—"

 

"Yeah, yeah. Love you, too, runt." 

 

She quickens her steps until they’re walking side by side again. Alex loops her hand through hers. The sun is warm on her skin, despite the spreading shadows lingering between the buildings.


End file.
